A FAST Guide to Slowing Down, Sedona Style

Interview Series: Akila Berjaoui

Bronze bodies dripping from the mouth of the crystallized blue ocean, freckles dressing naked skin beneath the warmth of a young summer’s afternoon. The raised goosebumps on her chest contrasted with her jet-black hair, plush lips matching the stem of a soda can’s straw. Intimate in style, provocative by nature, Akila Berjaoui creates timeless photos that act as a mirage for those inescapably hot days, introducing her spectator to a new muse with each image created.

It is near impossible to not find yourself engrossed in the world Berjaoui lives in – you can’t help but fall rapidly into the fading heat of summer lust. The Sydney-based photographer effortlessly emulates the carefree minutes that slip into hours, the days that fall with the lazy setting of the summer sun. Allow yourself to indulge in the world of Akila Berjaoui.

Q&A

LF: Tell me about yourself – who are you, where are you from, why photography?

AB: I live in Sydney. I’m Australian, with a Mediterranean background. Why photography? Why not? It’s easier for me to express myself through imagery.

LF: Many of your photos suggest that you have a penchant for adventure. What was the last adventure you went on?

AB: Well, I’m about to embark on one tomorrow – I’m off to Vietnam on a job for 8 days. I’m very excited as I’ve not been to that part of Asia before. Prior to that, I was in New York earlier this year, and before that I was in and out of Europe for approximately 6 months last year. Always adventuring. Always having fun.

LF:How do you feel that living in Australia influences your work?

AB: Greatly so. It is such a dreamy life, with the weather, and the sunshine, and our surf beaches, and the nature. Nature everywhere. All of these elements influence my work. I’m surrounded by water as far as the eyes can see. I rarely feel inspired in cold, miserable weather. We are far too spoiled here in Australia, hence the reason I chase the sun.

LF: What gets you off, literally or figuratively?

AB: Haha wow okay, a good face, good art, and photography. A unique and intelligent mind.